Tag Archives: Multiverse

The universe is a big place. Most physicists say it is infinite, and estimates of our observable universe fall around 93 billion lightyears across. Fortunately, math and science give us the tools to unravel what we cannot see, such as last week’s breakthrough discovery of the “echo” from the Big Bang.

The Big Bang theory posits the universe burst from a single point some 13.7 billion years ago. In a fraction of a second it underwent staggering expansion, growing exponentially at speeds faster than light. Early phases of the universe contained plasma so “dense” (high-energy) that photons could not escape. About 380,000 years later, the plasma cooled enough to let light push through, giving the universe its first moment of transparency. This theory is widely accepted by the scientific community and explains many properties of our universe, such as cosmic background radiation, large-scale structures, and the large presence of light elements (more on these in future posts).

Every blogger has his inspiration, and mine has in part come from the amazing science channels on YouTube. To escape the old “wall of text with pictures” habit, here is a sampling of fun videos. Check out each channel for more science awesomeness.

Of all the secrets and mysteries of science, I find myself most fascinated by the universe. It’s birth and evolution, its future and unexplored depths–these stories keep me coming back for more. Perhaps the most exciting part is that there is so much we do not know. We sit on our lonely planet, pondering how everything came to be and where it is going. If one phrase can describe the history of cosmology, it is the proverbial “the more we learn the less we know.”

The Rosette nebula, a stellar nursery approximately 5,000 light years away. How can we possibly understand scales that leave everything we know incomprehensibly large or small?

Are we alone? Is there another me out there? People have pondered these questions since the dawn of humanity. In the last century scientists have begun to approach this question, basing hypotheses on complex mathematical structures. These theories describe vast multiverses and alternate realities that challenge the boundaries of the imagination. It is important to note that these hypotheses are untestable and therefore unfalsifiable, so scientifically speaking they have no value. Even so, we cannot help but wonder what lies beyond the cosmic horizon.

Level I: the infinite universe

You’ve probably heard that the universe is expanding, that space itself is growing. But what if it continues to expand forever? If the universe were infinitely large, chances are there would be another you out there. In fact, if space were truly infinite, all possibilities would be realized. Somewhere beyond the cosmological horizon would exist Earths where cats flew, people were purple, and you were the supreme ruler of the world. Some versions of you would be very similar, while others would be hardly recognizable. Next time you‘re feeling down, just remember that somewhere you could be on top of the world.

Scientists believe there may exist other Earths beyond the cosmic horizon. Sociologists debate whether these space-humans would be able to agree about anything either.